Lubricator



C. H. ALLEN.

Lumcmo.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3. 1917. v A

1,405,375, v Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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umrao STATES PATENT orne-E.t

CHARLES H. ALLEN, 0F CLABEMONTfEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T0 SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A .CQHRATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

Application tiled December 8, 1917. Serial No. 205,214.

To all wlwm it mary Acof/wem.' Y

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Claremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Lubricators, of which the folliiwing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to lubricators.

It has for its object to provide an improved and simplified lubricating means of the pressure actuated type, and one especially adapted to use in connection with pressure fluid actuated devices, wherein the lubricant is automatically supplied in an improved manner as a result of variations in pressure arising in the operation of the device. .A further object of my invention is to prov1de an improved lubricating means of the variable pressure ltype, which is especially adapted to use in connection with pressure fluid motors, and which is of a compact and unitary construction adapted to be readily and cheaply manufactured and applied at small expense to various standard forms of motors without material changes therein. These and other objects and advantages of my improved construction will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration two embodiments which my invention may assume in practice, the same being herein illustratively disclosed as applied to two well-known forms of pressure fluid motors.

In these drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through one form of motor equipped with my improvement, the lubricator unit being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal section of the lubricator unit shownin Fig. 1.v

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the unit, the parts being shown in different relation.

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of a modified form of motor equipped with a modified form of lubricating means.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the lubricator unit shown in Fig. 4.

In theillustrative construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have shown my invention as applied. to use in connection with a motor of the Gilman type described and claimed in the George H. .Gilman Patent N o. 1,250,932, dated Dec. 18, 1917. As illustrated, this motor includes a cylinder 1 having a hammer piston 2 reci rocable therein r under the control of a suitab e valve 3 which 60 is in turn adapted to receivea reduced end 4 of the reciprocating piston and to be itself automatically reciprocated in a well known manner to direct motive luid from a suitable source of supply alternately to the opposite ends of the lplston. As usual in this construction, it wi l -be observed that with the parts as shown in Fig. 1, i. e., during the forward stroke of the piston 2, the pressure fluid supply received from a suitable valved port 5 in the rear head 6, passes to an annular assage 7 therein, from which it in turn is dlstributed through a plurality of ports 8 in the rear head block 9 and through a communicating annular passage 10, to the rear surface of the reduced portion 4 of the piston, the exhaust at the opposite end of the cylinder escaping through a ported passage 11 communicatin with an exhaust outlet 12. Conversely, w en the valve is in its reverse position, i. e., during the rearward stroke of the piston, the pressure fluid in the annular passage 7 will also obviously pass out through the ports 8 and a relatively restricted passage 8 around a flange 13 on the valve into a ported passage 14 leading to the front end of the cylinder, the exhaust at the opposite end of the cylinder then escaping around the front end of the valve and through passages 15 and 16 leading to the exhaust outlet 12.

In my improved construction, it will be observed that I have provided therear cylinder head 6 with a lubricant reservoir 17 having a threaded aperture 18 in its front wall communicating with the annular chamber 7 and preferably located at a point adjacent one of the ports 8. Inthis aperture 18 is carried my improved lubricator unit. As shown, this unit includes a threaded shell or valve casing 19 in the form of a plug threaded into the aperture 18 and having one end extending into the lubricant reservoir 17 and the other preferably extending through the'annular chamber 7 to a point adjacent one of the ports 8. It will also be observed that this shell 19 is provided with an axial bore 20 in its rear end and an enlarged threaded axial bore 21 in its front end, and that it carries within the 110 same a screw or plug member 22 threaded i. at its front end in the bore 21 and having a reduced barrel received inthe bore 20. 'As shown, this plug member 22 is likewise provided with an axial bore or cylinder 23 in its rear end, as well as a communicating relatively deep annular groove 24 intermediate its lends and ya communicating smaller axial passage or bore 25 in its front end, the construction being such as to receive va valve or piston 26 controlling the flow through the passage 25. rlhis valve or piston 26 is, as shown, provided with a head 27|' adapted to seat in a correspondingly shaped seat 28 formed in the front wall of the groove 24 and a plurality of longitudia coaxially disposed opening 34 in the rear` end of the plug 19 and with the space in front of the head 27, through an angularly and longitudinally disposed reduced passage 35 adapted' to be closed or opened as the member 26 is reciprocated.

lln the operation of my improved construction, it will be observed that it is possible to take advantage of the variations in pressure in the annular passage 7 in such a manner as to cause the valve or piston 26 to be reciprocated and thereby pump lubricant from the reservoir 17 into the passages leading to the motor. More specifically, let us assume that the valve 3 is in the positio-n shown in Fig. 1, wherein there is a free iow of pressure fluid to the end surface of the reduced portion 4 of the piston, and. that the valve or piston 26 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, no lubricant having as yet been supplied from the reservoir. rlhe pressure in the passage 7 is then at its minimum, and all communication between the passage 7 and the reservoir 17 is closed, the passage 35 being closed by the valve seat 28. When, however, the valve 3 is reversed in such a manner as to interpose its flange 13 in the path of the pressure fluid passing to the motor and thus restrict the flow of the same, the pressure in the passage 7 will build up. As a result, the valve or piston 26 will'be reciprocated from the position showin in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2, in such a manner as to open communication between the annular passage 7 and the' reservoir 17 through the bore 25 and passage 35 and the bores 33 and 34, thereby permitting the. pressure to act upon the surface of the lubricant in the reservoir and force lubricant through the bores 34, 33 and the passages 32 into the groove 29. ln the next operation of the valve 3, the valve or piston 26 will move from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, in .such a manner as to cause the annular groove 29 therein to come opposite. the annular groove 3l in the member 22 and thus permit the transfer of the lubricant in the groove 29 to the groove 31.` ln the next operation of the valve 3, the valve or piston 26 will move to the left from the `position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2 and thereby transfer the lubricant from the groove 31 to the groove 30 so that when the valve or piston 26 is next reciprocated the lubricant may be carried forward in this groove 30 and discharged therefrom into the groove 24 communicating with the air supply leading to the motor through the bore 25. Obviously, after the first charge of lubricant has thus been withdrawn'from the reservoir 17, a new charge of lubricant will automatically be delivered to the groove 24 each time that the valve or piston 26 assumes the position shown in F ig. 3, i. e., at one end of each cycle of operation of the piston 2, so that the latter will be thus automatically supplied with a. sufficient amount of lubricant to lreep'the motor in the desired condition.

l have also found some conditions, for cx ample, where the pressure range is relatively great within the space with which the bore 25 communicates, when the lubricant supply with this device is in excess of what is required and that l can dispense with the conveying grooves entirely and still secure a Suflicient supply of lubricant through the port 35. rl`his l attribute, in part, to the inertia action of the lubricant, but mainlyr to the inertia of the piston itself which makes necessary a material drop in pressure in chamber 24 below that in the reservoir before the piston will start to move. This results in a slight time lapse, to whiclrmust be added the period of 4the pistons transit. There is thus a small, but material, time interval between the instant when the pressure in chamber 24 first becomes less than in the reservoir and the instant when the port 35 is closed by surface 28, during which there is an outflow of lubricant through the tion, it will be observed that the lubricating means is responsive to variations in p ressure inthe cylinder and'instead of dellvering the lubricant into the pressure fluid` supply before the same reaches the motor,`delivers the same more directly into the motor cylinder and at a point adjacent the rear surface of the piston thereof. In th1s construction, it will also be observed that a threaded plug 41 is provided havlng a sultable enlar ed bore or cylinders 42 intermedlate its endgs communicating with the cyllnder space through a. restricted axial outlet 43 and with a single passage 44 leadmg to the reservoir 45 through another restrlcted passage 46. In this constructlon, 1t w1l l also .be observed that a valve or piston 47 1s reclprocably mounted in this bore 42 and adapted to control the supply of pressure Huid and lubricant through the bore 43. It wlll here, however, be noted that instead of the axially perforated piston and plural annular groove construction above described, this member 47 is provided with a reduced portion 48 on its front end and longitudinally disposed slots 49 on its opposite sides forming a communication between the reduced portion 48 and the op osite end of the bore. In the operation o this construction, it w1ll-be observed that the sequence 'of operation 1s substantially the same as that described above. However, in this instance, attention is d1- rected to the fact that the lubricant passes in through the passages 44 and 46,' the bore 42, and the slots 49, to the space surrounding the reduced portion 48 on the member 47, so that when the latter is next reciprocated in the opposite direction the lubricant in the space surrounding this reduced portiony is thus free to pass through the outlet 43 to lubricate the motor.

In'the use of my improved construction, it will be observed that it is possible to utilize a single connection betweenthe motor and the reservoir, which connection acts intermittently as a means of supplying pressure fluid to the lubricant in the reservoir and as a means of supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the motor parts, thereby enabling an exceedingly compact and simple construction to be produced vwhich may be readily applied to use in the limited space available in the usual percussive motor. At-

tention is also directed to the fact that while such that the lubricator may be inserted or removed as a unit when desired, and that. the same ma be very readily and cheaply manufacture These and other advantages of my improved construction will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. i

While I have in this application specifically described two embodiments which n1 invention ma assume in practice, it wil be understoo that these forms of the same are used for illustrative purposes and that the invention may be modlied and embodied in various other forms and ,adapted to various other uses than those shown herein, Without departing from its spirit or the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lubricator, a source of variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, and a lubricator having a single connection with said source of variable pressure and a single connection with said lubricant reservolr, said lubricant reservoir being otherwise closed and said lubricator comprising means for intermittently conveying lubricant from said lubricant reservoir to said source of variable pressure and including a port adapted to connect said source and reservoir when said means is in one position.

2. In a lubricator, a source of variable soy pressure, a lubricant reservoir, and lubricant conveying means disposed between the same and having a single communication with each of the same, said lubricant reservoir being otherwise closed.

3. In a lubricator, a source of variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, a connecting passage therebetween, and pressure actuated means for alternately supplying pressure fluid and conveying lubricant through said passages, said lubricant reservoir being closed except for said connection with said variable pressure source.

4. In a lubricator, a source of variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, means for connecting said source and said reservoir including a passage, and lubricant pumping means including a reciprocable element having lubricant conveying pockets thereon and being responsive to pressure variations in said source of variable pressure transmitted thereto through said connecting means.

5. In a lubricator, a source of variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, a` valve cas'- ing communicatin with said source and said reservoir, an apressure responsive valve in said casing controlling the iow therethrough and having a port there-A through for the supply of pressure to said reservoir.

6. In a lubricator, a sou'rcc of f variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, each having a communicating passage and said lubricant reservoir being otherwise closed, a cylinder connecting said passages, and a pressure responsive piston movable in said cylinder and provided with means to convey lubrlcant l therethrough.

7. ln a lubricator, a source ot variable pressure, a lubricant container, a valve casing communicating with said soure and said container, and a ported valve in said casing operative when in one extreme position to close communication between the 1nterior oil said vcasin and one ot the'same, and `when in its ot er extreme position to interconnect the same through said valve casin 8. lin a lubricator., a source ot variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, each having a communicating passage, and avalve having a longitudinal port and located in said passage and movable to open and close communication between the said source of pressure and reservoir through said port in response to variations in pressureo 9. ln a lubricator, a source 'ot variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir, a casing conamunicating with each of the same through a single port, and valve means in said casing i fior alternately supplying pressure and conveying lubricant in opposite directions.

l0., ln a lubricator, a source cat` variable pressure, a lubricant reservoir having a passage communicating therewith, and a longitudinally ported valve controlling the ilovv through said passage alternately actuamd by the variable pressure and the pressure in said reservoir, said reservoir being closed except for said passage.

ll. ln a lubricator, a lubricator casing having openings in its opposite ends, and a valve member therein controlling the llovv through said casing and having a longitudi nal passage intermittently opened or closed as said valve is moved whereby to connect or disconnect said casing ends. l

l2. ln a lubricator, a lubricator casing `having openings in its opposite ends, and lubricant pumping means therein including a reciprocable ported lubricant valve movable to establish or interrupt communication between said openings for the transmission ot pressure through said lubricator casing.

13. ln a lubricator, a -lubricator casing having a plurality of lubricant receiving passages therein and openings in its opposite ends connected respectively to a source of lubricant supply and the point of delivery thereof, and a pressure actuated valve carried in said casing and movable therein to transfer lubricant from said passages.

la.' ln combination, a ressure duid motor including a cylinder an a piston, a lubricant reservoir having a single passage intermittently communicable with a variable pressure space in said motor, but otherwise closed, and means having a longitudinal pasrecaer/e ried in said lubricator casing controlling the How in opposite directions through said passages and movable to close one of said passages, and means whereby lubricant is delivered to said passage upon the opening of the same.

16. ln combination, a pressure fluid motor including a cylinder and a piston, a lubricant reservoir having a single passage communicable vvith a variable pressure space in said motor and otherwise closed, and means including a single movable ported valve member responsive to variations in pressure in said variable pressure space for supplying lubricant through said connection.

l?. ln combination, a pressure Huid motor including a cylinder and a piston, a valve controlling the movement ci said piston, a lubricant reservoir having a single outlet communicating with a variable pressure space oit said motor, and means having a longitudinal passage therethrough controlling `said outlet operable in one position oi sai valve to supply pressure to said reservoir and in another position of said valve to supply lubricant to said piston.

. i8. ln a lubricator, a lubricator casing having a plurality of lubricant receiving sages one communicating with said longitudinal passage and adapted to communicate With one of the passages in said casing and the other adapted to communicate with either of the passages in said casing.

20. lin a lubricator, a lubricator casing having passages only in its opposite ends and connected thereby to a source of lubricant and to a variable pressure space respectively, and a reciprocatory valve memher in said casing controlling the flow in opposite directions through said passages and movable to close one of said passages.

2l. lnV a lubricator, a lubricator casing having passages only in its opposite ends llil and connected thereby toa source of lubrihaving passa es only in its opposite ends and connecte therebyto a source of lubricant and to a variable pressure space respectively, and a reciprocatory valve member controlling the flow in opposite directions through said passages and alternately opening and closing one of said passages and located in said casing. n

23. In a lubricator, a lubricator casing having passages only in its opposite ends and connected thereby to a source of lubricant and to variable pressure space respectively, and a reciprocatory valve member having a port extending longitudinally thereof and carried in saidlubricator casing and movable to close one of said passages and said longitudinal port.

24. In a lubricating device for attachment to a variable pressure chamber, a lubricant reservoir, casing communicating at opposite ends with ,said chamber and said reservoir, a valve seat at one end of said casing, and a valve reeiprocable in said casing and having a longitudinal opening therethrough adapted to beclosed upon seating of said valve.

25. In a lubricatox; a lubricatorV casing having passages in its opposite ends, a re-v ciprocatory valve member carried in said lubricator casing and movable to close one of said passages, and means whereby lubricant is delivered through said valve to said passage upon the opening of the same.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

CHARLES H. ALLEN. 

